It was opening night for Ryan Seacrest on Monday’s episode of “Wheel of Fortune” — so it was perhaps fitting that the first puzzle to roll out of the starting blocks was “OPENING NIGHT,” based on the clue, “showbiz.” “That’s what it feels like here!” Seacrest remarked after one of the show’s contestants solved the puzzle.

Syndicated game show mainstay “Wheel of Fortune” returned Monday for its 42nd season with some big changes, including a new set (which, Seacrest noted, came with lots of lights) and, of course, the biggest change of all: a new host. That was acknowledged up front, when announcer Jim Thornton opened the show: “And now together for the first time, here are the stars of our show, Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White!”

After Seacrest thanked Thornton for the opening, White turned to her new colleague and welcomed him to the show. “So happy to be here,” Seacrest told White. “So happy to have you here!” White replied.

With that, before introducing the evening’s performers, Seacrest gave a short monologue to the audience. “I’m your host, Ryan Seacrest. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to be here with you tonight to continue this legacy of this incredible show with all of you. And of course, my dear friend Vanna White.

“Thank you for the warm welcome,” he added. “Hosting ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is a dream job. I’ve been a fan of this show since I was a kid, watching it with my family in Atlanta. And I know how special it is that ‘Wheel’ has been in your living rooms for 40 years. And I’m just so grateful to have been invited. I also know that I have some really big shoes to fill. So let’s play ‘Wheel of Fortune.'”

In the opener, Seacrest conspicuously failed to mention the person whose shoes he was filling: Pat Sajak, who stepped down from the show in June after more than 40 years as host. (Sajak and Seacrest appeared together with White in a promo this summer that served more as an official passing of the baton.) Sajak will still appear on ABC’s primetime edition of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” this fall, which will mark his final stint on the show.

Seacrest taped this first episode of the syndicated version in July; at the time, he shared a behind-the-scenes look at his first day hosting “Wheel of Fortune” via an Instagram video: “I’m still spinning with excitement!” he wrote on the post, which featured him walking onto the set for the first time. “I’m so excited, my heart is pounding,” he said in the video. “The wheel might be smaller than you think — just like me,” he joked as he spun the wheel for the first time. “I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so excited. I slept well, but I was still really excited for the alarm to go off.”

The first night went smoothly, including the first batch of contestants: Corina from Denver, Cindy from Lake Tahoe, and the big winner Terry from North Carolina. Terry ultimately took home two trips and a total of $25,849 (although he missed out on the $40,000 grand prize).

Finally, White asked Seacrest how he felt, having the first show under his belt. “I feel like we did one!” he said. “What was great was that everybody went home with some money. I was really hoping that would happen on my first night.”

If Variety As noted in a recent profile of Seacrest, the host studied intently as he took on the job. According to the story, he pored through archives of more than 8,000 “Wheel” episodes, watching hundreds of shows and cherry-picking moments from every decade to learn the nuances of the game. Executive producer Bellamie Blackstone also built a miniature version of the wheel, and they practiced in conference rooms around the country while Seacrest traveled for work.

“By the time Ryan walked on set, he was so prepared that he could just do what he does best and connect with those contestants in a really authentic way,” Suzanne Prete, president of game shows at Sony Pictures Television, said in that story. “He’s really fun. He’s really delivered on that front. It’s just a whole new energy.”